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| successor          =  
| successor          =  
| formation          = 1938
| formation          = 1938
| founder       = [[Bahadur Yar Jung]]
| founder           = [[Bahadur Yar Jung]]
| dissolved          = 1948
| dissolved          = 1948
| type                = Paramilitary volunteer force
| type                = [[Paramilitary]]
| headquarters        = [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]]
| headquarters        = [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]]
| coords              =  
| coords              =  
| language            =  
| language            =  
| leader_title        =  
| leader_title        =  
| leader_name        = [[Bahadur Yar Jung]]<br/>[[Qasim Razvi]]
| leader_name        = Bahadur Yar Jung<br/>[[Qasim Razvi]]
| key_people          =  
| key_people          =  
| main_organ          =  
| main_organ          =  
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| size                = 250px
| size                = 250px
| abbreviation        =  
| abbreviation        =  
| purpose            = Support of the [[Nizam]], [[Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII|Sir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII]], resisting the integration of Hyderabad State into India
| purpose            = Supporting [[Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII]] in resisting the [[integration of Hyderabad]] with India
| location            =  
| location            =  
| region_served      = [[Hyderabad State]]
| region_served      = [[Hyderabad State]]
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| former name        =  
| former name        =  
}}
}}
The '''Razakars''' were a [[paramilitary]] wing of the [[Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen]] (MIM; {{Translation|Council for Muslim Unity}}), an Islamic political party in the [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad]] [[princely state]] of [[British Raj|British India]]. Formed in 1938 by MIM leader [[Bahadur Yar Jung]], the organisation expanded considerably during the leadership of [[Qasim Razvi]] around the time of the [[partition of India]].{{sfnp|Benichou, From Autocracy to Integration|2000|p=99}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Joshi |first=Shashi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1znBBwAAQBAJ&dq=razakar+communist+alliance&pg=PT196 |title=The Last Durbar |date=2005-12-31 |publisher=[[Roli Books Private Limited]] |isbn=978-93-5194-080-7 |language=en}}</ref> Its primary objective was to maintain the rule of the Muslim [[Nizams of Hyderabad]] and prevent the accession of Hyderabad to India.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sayeed |first=Vikhar Ahmed |date=2023-11-02 |title=Hyderabad's dark history: A tale of two massacres |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/history-a-tale-of-two-massacres-in-hyderabad-karnataka-razakars-1948-police-action-annexation-of-hyderabad-nizam-anti-muslim-attacks-kalaburagi-bidar/article67442047.ece |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=Frontline |language=en}}</ref>


The '''Razakars''' were the paramilitary volunteer force of the Muslim nationalist [[Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen]] (MIM) party in the [[Hyderabad State]] under the [[British Raj]]. Formed in 1938 by the MIM leader [[Bahadur Yar Jung]],{{sfnp|Benichou, From Autocracy to Integration|2000|p=99}}
One of the pretexts for [[Operation Polo]] by India which led to its [[annexation of Hyderabad]] was the refusal by the Nizam to disband the Razakars. The Razakars were the main resistance to the Indian Army during the operation.<ref>{{harvp|Kamat, Border incidents, internal disorder|2007|p=220}}: "A little over 800 people died on both sides during the operation, with the Razakars suffering the majority of the casualties."
they expanded considerably during the leadership of [[Qasim Razvi]] around the time of Indian independence. They were deployed in the cause of maintaining Muslim rule in Hyderabad and resisting integration into India. Described as "enthusiastic" and "undisciplined", they targeted Hindus as well as Muslims whose loyalty was in question. They also fought communists who were launching a revolution in the state.{{sfnp|Sherman, The integration of the princely state of Hyderabad|2007|pp=6–7}}
</ref> After they were defeated, the Nizam surrendered and agreed to disband the Razakars.{{sfnp|Kamat, Border incidents, internal disorder|2007|p=220}} Qasim Razvi was initially jailed and then allowed to move to Pakistan where he was granted asylum.<ref name="clan">{{cite web |title=Hate speech not new for Owaisi clan |website=[[The Times of India]] |date=10 January 2013 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Hate-speech-not-new-for-Owaisi-clan/articleshow/17963124.cms}}</ref>


During the period November 1947–August 1948, when Hyderabad was under a [[Standstill agreement (India)|Standstill Agreement]] with India, the Indian government made repeated demands to the [[Nizam of Hyderabad]] to disband the Razakars, which were all turned down. In the eventual [[Operation Polo|armed invasion]] launched by India, dubbed 'police action', the Razakars formed the main resistance to the Indian Army.<ref>{{harvp|Kamat, Border incidents, internal disorder|2007|p=220}}: "A little over 800 people died on both sides during the operation, with the Razakars suffering the majority of the casualties."
They were involved in various human right abuses and committed atrocities including mass killings, rapes and looting of villages, against the Hindu majority (which overwhelmingly favored Hyderabad's accession with India), and against participants of the [[Telangana Rebellion]].{{sfnp|Sherman, The integration of the princely state of Hyderabad|2007|pp=6–7}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-20 |title=Hyderabad's Razakars Chapter: Paramilitary Force Killed Hindus, Later Hired by Zamindars to Fight Communists |url=https://www.news18.com/politics/hyderabads-razakars-chapter-paramilitary-force-killed-hindus-later-hired-by-zamindars-to-fight-communists-8379229.html |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref>
</ref>
The Nizam surrendered and agreed to disband the Razakars.{{sfnp|Kamat, Border incidents, internal disorder|2007|p=220}} Qasim Razvi was initially jailed and then allowed to move to Pakistan where he was granted asylum.<ref name="clan">{{cite web |title=Hate speech not new for Owaisi clan |website=The Times of India |date=10 January 2013 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Hate-speech-not-new-for-Owaisi-clan/articleshow/17963124.cms}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
[[File:Qasim Razvi.jpg|thumb|[[Qasim Razvi]], the leader of Razakars]]
[[File:Qasim Razvi.jpg|thumb|[[Qasim Razvi]], the leader of Razakars.]]
[[File:Razakars.jpg|thumb|Razakars during [[Operation Polo]].]]
With the [[Indian Independence Act 1947]], the British left the princely states with the option of join either [[Dominion of India|India]] or [[Dominion of Pakistan|Pakistan]] or opting for full independence. However, by 1948 almost all had [[Instrument of Accession|acceded]] to either India or Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mehrotra |first=S. R. |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.100154 |title=Towards Indias Freedom And Partition |date=1979}}</ref> One major exception was Hyderabad, where [[Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII]], a Muslim ruler who presided over a largely Hindu population, chose [[independence]] and hoped to maintain this with the help of Razakars and entered into a [[standstill agreement (India)|standstill agreement]] with India on 29 November 1947 to maintain the [[status quo]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Metcalf |first1=Barbara D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jGCBNTDv7acC |title=A Concise History of India |last2=Metcalf |first2=Thomas R. |date=2002 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-63974-3 |language=en}}</ref> The move was strongly resisted primarily by the Hindu subjects of the kingdom, who wanted state's accession with India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tracing Razakar legacy: When Razvi's granddaughter visited Hyderabad |url=https://www.theweek.in/leisure/society/2021/09/30/tracing-razakar-legacy-when-razvis-granddaughter-visited-hyderabad.html |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=The Week |language=en}}</ref>


[[File:Razakars.jpg|thumb|Razakars during Operation Polo]]
In 1926, Mahmud Nawaz Khan, a retired Hyderabad official, founded the [[All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen|Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen]] (also known as MIM). The MIM became a powerful organization, with a principal focus of marginalizing the political aspirations of Hindus and progressive Muslims through its actions, including the insistence that Hyderabad be declared a Muslim state.{{sfn|Kate, Marathwada under the Nizams|1987|p=73}}
The [[Hyderabad State]] was a kingdom that was ruled by the [[Nizam]]. When India became independent in 1947, like all the other Princely states, the Hyderabad State was also given the choice of either joining India or Pakistan. The Nizam wanted neither; he wanted to remain independent. The Nizam finally entered into a [[standstill agreement (India)|standstill agreement]] with India on 29 November 1947 to maintain the ''[[status quo]]''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EbtBJb1bsHUC&pg=PA75|title=War and peace in modern India|last=Srinath|first=Raghavan|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2010|isbn=9780230242159|location=Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire|pages=75|oclc=664322508}}</ref>


Hyderabad state had been steadily becoming more theocratic since the beginning of the 20th century. In 1926, [[Mahmud Nawaz Khan]], a retired Hyderabad official, founded the [[All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen|Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen]] (also known as MIM).
MIM "had its storm troopers in the Razakars who were headed by [[Kasim Razvi]], a Muslim educated at [[Aligarh Muslim University|Aligarh University]] who claimed Hyderabad was a Muslim state and that Muslim supremacy was based upon the right of conquest".<ref>Moraes, Frank, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mumbai: Jaico. 2007, p.390</ref> The Razakars demanded special powers from the Nizam, which they started to misuse and the Nizam had to abide by their dictats. The Nizam sent a delegation to the [[United Nations]] to refer the Hyderabad State case to the [[UN Security Council]].
The MIM became a powerful organization, with the principal focus to marginalize the political aspirations of moderate Muslims.{{sfn|Kate, Marathwada under the Nizams|1987|p=73}}


MIM "had its storm troopers in the Razakars who were headed by [[Kasim Razvi]], a Muslim educated at [[Aligarh Muslim University|Aligarh University]] who claimed Hyderabad was a Muslim state and that Muslim supremacy was based upon the right of conquest".<ref>Moraes, Frank, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mumbai: Jaico. 2007, p.390</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=February 2021|reason=Is this a reliable source?}}<!--Do not remove this tag without explaining how the source is reliable.--> The Razakars demanded special powers from the Nizam, which they started to misuse and the Nizam had to abide by their dictates. The Nizam sent a delegation to the [[United Nations]] to refer the Hyderabad State case to the [[UN Security Council]].
The Razakar militia brutally put down the armed revolts by Communist sympathizers and the peasantry and even eliminated Muslim activists such as journalist Shoebullah Khan who advocated merger with India.<ref>Rao, P.R., ''History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh: From the Earliest Times to 1991'', New Delhi: Sterling Publishers, 2012. p. 284</ref><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/Remembering-a-legend/article15287211.ece Remembering a legend], The Hindu, 22 August 2008; Aniket Alam, [http://www.thehindu.com/2003/01/06/stories/2003010604090400.htm A one-man crusade, it was and still is]{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, ''The Hindu'', 6 January 2003.</ref> The Razakars terrorised the Hindu population and its sympathizers, causing many to flee to safety into the jungles, uninhabited mud forts, or neighboring Indian provinces.{{sfn|Kate, Marathwada under the Nizams|1987|p=84}} The [[Hyderabad State Congress]] was banned and its leaders forced to flee to [[Vijaywada|Bezawada]] or [[Bombay]].{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}
 
The Razakar militia brutally put down the armed revolts by Communist sympathizers and the peasantry and even eliminated Muslim activists such as journalist Shoebullah Khan who advocated merger with India.<ref>Rao, P.R., ''History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh: From the Earliest Times to 1991'', New Delhi: Sterling Publishers, 2012. p. 284</ref><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/Remembering-a-legend/article15287211.ece Remembering a legend], The Hindu, 22 August 2008; Aniket Alam, [http://www.thehindu.com/2003/01/06/stories/2003010604090400.htm A one-man crusade, it was and still is]{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, ''The Hindu'', 6 January 2003.</ref> The Razakars terrorised the Hindu population and its sympathizers, causing many to flee to safety into the jungles, uninhabited mud forts, or neighboring Indian provinces.{{sfn|Kate, Marathwada under the Nizams|1987|p=84}}{{better source needed|date=February 2021}} The [[Hyderabad State Congress]] was banned and its leaders forced to flee to [[Vijaywada|Bezawada]] or [[Bombay]].{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}


==Annexation after Operation Polo==
==Annexation after Operation Polo==
{{Main|Indian annexation of Hyderabad}}
{{Main|Indian annexation of Hyderabad}}
Finally, [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel]], the Indian Minister for Home Affairs, decided to undertake "police action" in Hyderabad State to force the King Nizam's hand. [[Operation Polo]] was launched and the [[Indian Army]], led by Major General J. N. Chaudhuri, entered the state from five directions. The Razakars fought briefly against the overwhelming attack by Indian forces before surrendering on 18 September 1948. [[Mir Laik Ali]], the [[prime minister]] of the Nizam, and Qasim Rizvi were arrested.
Finally, [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel]], the Indian Minister for Home Affairs, decided to undertake "police action" in Hyderabad State to force the Nizam's hand. [[Operation Polo]] was launched and the [[Indian Army]], led by Major General J. N. Chaudhuri, entered the state from five directions. The Razakars fought briefly against the overwhelming attack by Indian forces before surrendering on 18 September 1948. [[Mir Laik Ali]], the [[prime minister]] of the Nizam, and [[Kasim Razvi]] were arrested.


On 22 September 1948, the Nizam withdrew his complaint from the UN Security Council. The merger of Hyderabad into the Indian Union was announced.  
On 22 September 1948, the Nizam withdrew his complaint from the UN Security Council. The merger of Hyderabad into the Indian Union was announced. Major General Chaudhuri took over as military governor of Hyderabad and stayed in that position till the end of 1949. In January 1950, [[M. K. Vellodi]], a senior civil servant was made the Chief Minister of the state and the Nizam was given the position of "[[Rajpramukh|Raj Pramukh]]" or "Governor".
Major General Chaudhuri took over as military governor of Hyderabad and stayed in that position till the end of 1949. In January 1950, [[M. K. Vellodi]], a senior civil servant was made the Chief Minister of the state and the Nizam was given the position of "[[Rajpramukh|Raj Pramukh]]" or "Governor".


The [[Pandit Sunderlal Committee Report]] estimated that between 27,000 and 40,000 lost their lives in the violence that ensued the operation.<ref name="India hidden massacre">{{Cite news | last = Thomson | first = Mike | title = India's hidden massacre | work = BBC | accessdate = 2013-09-26 | date = 2013-09-24 | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24159594 }}</ref>
The [[Pandit Sunderlal Committee Report]] estimated that between 27,000 and 40,000 lost their lives in the violence that ensued after the operation.<ref name="India hidden massacre">{{Cite news | last = Thomson | first = Mike | title = India's hidden massacre | work = BBC | accessdate = 2013-09-26 | date = 2013-09-24 | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24159594 }}</ref>


==Types of Razakars==
==Disbandment==
Quoting an article of [[Khusro_Faramurz_Rustamji|K F Rustomjee]], the former DGP of Maharashtra and BSF, Captain Panduranga Reddy said that the policemen from Akola district in then Central Province were sent in to Hyderabad state in the garb of Razakars to create turmoil and blame the Nizam government. Rustomjee was SP of Akola at the time. Captain Reddy called the Communists as traitors, who encouraged violence to spread their agenda.<ref name="types">{{cite news |last=Siddique |title=Attempt to portray Nizam as 'intolerant oppressor' decried |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/attempt-to-portray-nizam-as-intolerant-oppressor-decried-1.1385949 |work=gulfnews.com |language=en}}</ref>
The Razakars were disbanded after the merger of Hyderabad with India and the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen was initially banned—though it was allowed to be rechartered as [[Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen|All India MIM (AIMIM)]] under new leadership in 1957. Qasim Rizvi was jailed and remained in Indian prisons for almost a decade. After his release, he [[Emigration|emigrated]] to [[Pakistan]].<ref name="clan"/>
* General:
# Muslim razakars
# Hindu razakars - Personnel recruited by Hindu Deshmukhs and Zamindars to gain favour of the Nizam.<ref name="types"/>{{sfn|Kate, Marathwada under the Nizams|1987|p=77}}
 
* Others : These Razakars were Members of the Arya Samaj, [[Hindu Mahasabha]], Communists, and even the [[Hyderabad State Congress]] was working in close coordination with an organisation called "Poona Patri Sarkar" operating from Satara under the leadership of "Achyut Patwardhan". This organisation caused a lot of damage and destruction in Hyderabad and was feared by its local populace.
# Communist razakars - Communists who posed as Razakars and carried out loot<ref name="types"/>{{sfn|Kate, Marathwada under the Nizams|1987|p=77}}
# Congress razakars <ref>{{cite book |last1=RAO |first1=VELDURTI MANIK |title=Freedom Movement in Hyderabad |date=14 February 2017 |publisher=Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting |isbn=978-81-230-2650-3 |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Freedom_Movement_in_Hyderabad/6HE9DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=congress+razakars&printsec=frontcover |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Nizam's generous side and love for books - Page 16 |url=https://such.forumotion.com/t5819p750-nizam-s-generous-side-and-love-for-books |website=such.forumotion.com |language=en}}</ref> They are the one's who had looted the Umri bank.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sundarayya |first1=P. |title=Telangana People's Armed Struggle, 1946-51. Part Three: Pitted against the Indian Army |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3516496 |journal=Social Scientist |pages=23–46 |doi=10.2307/3516496 |date=1973|volume=1 |issue=9 |jstor=3516496 }}</ref>The congress razakars even outbid the Nizam supporting Razakars in atrocities on the common man.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sundarayya |first1=Puccalapalli |last2=Chattopadhyaya |first2=Harindranath |title=Telangana People's Struggle and Its Lessons |date=1972 |publisher=Foundation Books |isbn=978-81-7596-316-0 |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Telangana_People_s_Struggle_and_Its_Less/TPjIh1G0TmcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Congress+razakars%22&pg=PA148&printsec=frontcover |language=en}}</ref>


==Disbandment==
== Popular culture ==
The Razakars were disbanded after the merger of Hyderabad with India and the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen was initially banned—though it was allowed to be rechartered as [[Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen|All India MIM (AIMIM)]] under new leadership in 1957. Qasim Rizvi was jailed and served in Indian prisons for almost a decade{{cn|date=May 2022}}. After his release, he migrated to Pakistan.<ref name ="clan"/>
*In 2015, the Indian Marathi-language film ''[[Razzakar (film)|Razzakar]]'' was released.
*''[[Razakar – Silent Genocide of Hyderabad]]'', a 2024 Indian film was released in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movie-details/razakar-the-silent-genocide-of-hyderabad/movieshow/106291570.cms |title=Razakar: The Silent Genocide Of Hyderabad Movie: Showtimes, Review, Songs, Trailer, Posters, News & Videos {{!}}eTimes |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |accessdate=29 February 2024}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 85: Line 75:
* [[Razakar (Pakistan)|Razakars (East Pakistan)]]
* [[Razakar (Pakistan)|Razakars (East Pakistan)]]
* [[Hyderabad State Forces]]
* [[Hyderabad State Forces]]
 
* [[Kasim Razvi]]
==Further reading==
* [[Mallikarjun Kharge]], the current president of the Indian National Congress, lost his mother and sister in a fire set off by the Razakars while he himself had a narrow escape at the age of 7
* [https://www.deccanchronicle.com/opinion/op-ed/170919/of-bonds-broken-promises-and-betrayals.html Razakars - a "rope around the neck" of the Nizam]


==References==
==References==
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==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
* {{citation |first=Lucien D. |last=Benichou |title=From Autocracy to Integration: Political Developments in Hyderabad State, 1938-1948 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Loiq3YrFy40C |date=2000 |origyear=University of Western Australia, 1985 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-81-250-1847-6 |ref={{sfnref|Benichou, From Autocracy to Integration|2000}}}}
* {{citation |first=Lucien D. |last=Benichou |title=From Autocracy to Integration: Political Developments in Hyderabad State, 1938-1948 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Loiq3YrFy40C |date=2000 |orig-date=University of Western Australia, 1985 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-81-250-1847-6 |ref={{sfnref|Benichou, From Autocracy to Integration|2000}}}}
* {{citation |last=Kamat |first=Manjiri N. |chapter=Border incidents, internal disorder and the ''Nizam'''s claim for an independent Hyderabad |editor1=Waltraud Ernst |editor2=Biswamoy Pati |title=India's Princely States: People, Princes and Colonialism |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eKbW3ukh9oC&pg=PA216 |year=2007 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-11988-2 |pages=212–224 |ref={{sfnref|Kamat, Border incidents, internal disorder|2007}}}}
* {{citation |last=Kamat |first=Manjiri N. |chapter=Border incidents, internal disorder and the ''Nizam'''s claim for an independent Hyderabad |editor1=Waltraud Ernst |editor2=Biswamoy Pati |title=India's Princely States: People, Princes and Colonialism |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eKbW3ukh9oC&pg=PA216 |year=2007 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-11988-2 |pages=212–224 |ref={{sfnref|Kamat, Border incidents, internal disorder|2007}}}}
* {{citation |last=Kate |first=P. V. |title=Marathwada under the Nizams, 1724-1948 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tjndiykddsIC&pg=PA73 |year=1987 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-017-8 |pages=73–  |ref={{sfnref|Kate, Marathwada under the Nizams|1987}}}}
* {{citation |last=Kate |first=P. V. |title=Marathwada under the Nizams, 1724-1948 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tjndiykddsIC&pg=PA73 |year=1987 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-017-8 |pages=73–  |ref={{sfnref|Kate, Marathwada under the Nizams|1987}}}}
Line 110: Line 99:
== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{cite news |title=This day, that year: How Hyderabad became a part of the union of India |newspaper=News Minute |date=16 September 2018 |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/day-year-how-hyderabad-became-part-union-india-88407 }}
* {{cite news |title=This day, that year: How Hyderabad became a part of the union of India |newspaper=News Minute |date=16 September 2018 |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/day-year-how-hyderabad-became-part-union-india-88407 }}
* [https://www.deccanchronicle.com/opinion/op-ed/170919/of-bonds-broken-promises-and-betrayals.html Razakars - a "rope around the neck" of the Nizam]


[[Category:Hyderabad State]]
[[Category:Military history of Hyderabad State]]
[[Category:Military history of the princely states of India]]
[[Category:Military history of Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:History of Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Monarchists]]
[[Category:Monarchists]]
[[Category:Government paramilitary forces]]
[[Category:Government paramilitary forces]]

Latest revision as of 19:35, 22 March 2026


Not to be confused with Razakars (Pakistan).

Razakars
Razakar units being trained
Formation1938
FounderBahadur Yar Jung
Dissolved1948
TypeParamilitary
PurposeSupporting Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII in resisting the integration of Hyderabad with India
HeadquartersHyderabad
Region served
Hyderabad State
LeaderBahadur Yar Jung
Qasim Razvi
AffiliationsMajlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen

The Razakars were a paramilitary wing of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM; transl. Council for Muslim Unity), an Islamic political party in the Hyderabad princely state of British India. Formed in 1938 by MIM leader Bahadur Yar Jung, the organisation expanded considerably during the leadership of Qasim Razvi around the time of the partition of India.[1][2] Its primary objective was to maintain the rule of the Muslim Nizams of Hyderabad and prevent the accession of Hyderabad to India.[3]

One of the pretexts for Operation Polo by India which led to its annexation of Hyderabad was the refusal by the Nizam to disband the Razakars. The Razakars were the main resistance to the Indian Army during the operation.[4] After they were defeated, the Nizam surrendered and agreed to disband the Razakars.[5] Qasim Razvi was initially jailed and then allowed to move to Pakistan where he was granted asylum.[6]

They were involved in various human right abuses and committed atrocities including mass killings, rapes and looting of villages, against the Hindu majority (which overwhelmingly favored Hyderabad's accession with India), and against participants of the Telangana Rebellion.[7][8]

History[edit | edit source]

Qasim Razvi, the leader of Razakars.
Razakars during Operation Polo.

With the Indian Independence Act 1947, the British left the princely states with the option of join either India or Pakistan or opting for full independence. However, by 1948 almost all had acceded to either India or Pakistan.[9] One major exception was Hyderabad, where Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, a Muslim ruler who presided over a largely Hindu population, chose independence and hoped to maintain this with the help of Razakars and entered into a standstill agreement with India on 29 November 1947 to maintain the status quo.[10] The move was strongly resisted primarily by the Hindu subjects of the kingdom, who wanted state's accession with India.[11]

In 1926, Mahmud Nawaz Khan, a retired Hyderabad official, founded the Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (also known as MIM). The MIM became a powerful organization, with a principal focus of marginalizing the political aspirations of Hindus and progressive Muslims through its actions, including the insistence that Hyderabad be declared a Muslim state.[12]

MIM "had its storm troopers in the Razakars who were headed by Kasim Razvi, a Muslim educated at Aligarh University who claimed Hyderabad was a Muslim state and that Muslim supremacy was based upon the right of conquest".[13] The Razakars demanded special powers from the Nizam, which they started to misuse and the Nizam had to abide by their dictats. The Nizam sent a delegation to the United Nations to refer the Hyderabad State case to the UN Security Council.

The Razakar militia brutally put down the armed revolts by Communist sympathizers and the peasantry and even eliminated Muslim activists such as journalist Shoebullah Khan who advocated merger with India.[14][15] The Razakars terrorised the Hindu population and its sympathizers, causing many to flee to safety into the jungles, uninhabited mud forts, or neighboring Indian provinces.[16] The Hyderabad State Congress was banned and its leaders forced to flee to Bezawada or Bombay.[citation needed]

Annexation after Operation Polo[edit | edit source]

Main article: Indian annexation of Hyderabad

Finally, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Indian Minister for Home Affairs, decided to undertake "police action" in Hyderabad State to force the Nizam's hand. Operation Polo was launched and the Indian Army, led by Major General J. N. Chaudhuri, entered the state from five directions. The Razakars fought briefly against the overwhelming attack by Indian forces before surrendering on 18 September 1948. Mir Laik Ali, the prime minister of the Nizam, and Kasim Razvi were arrested.

On 22 September 1948, the Nizam withdrew his complaint from the UN Security Council. The merger of Hyderabad into the Indian Union was announced. Major General Chaudhuri took over as military governor of Hyderabad and stayed in that position till the end of 1949. In January 1950, M. K. Vellodi, a senior civil servant was made the Chief Minister of the state and the Nizam was given the position of "Raj Pramukh" or "Governor".

The Pandit Sunderlal Committee Report estimated that between 27,000 and 40,000 lost their lives in the violence that ensued after the operation.[17]

Disbandment[edit | edit source]

The Razakars were disbanded after the merger of Hyderabad with India and the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen was initially banned—though it was allowed to be rechartered as All India MIM (AIMIM) under new leadership in 1957. Qasim Rizvi was jailed and remained in Indian prisons for almost a decade. After his release, he emigrated to Pakistan.[6]

Popular culture[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Benichou, From Autocracy to Integration (2000), p. 99.
  2. ↑ Joshi, Shashi (31 December 2005). The Last Durbar. Roli Books Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5194-080-7.
  3. ↑ Sayeed, Vikhar Ahmed (2 November 2023). "Hyderabad's dark history: A tale of two massacres". Frontline. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  4. ↑ Kamat, Border incidents, internal disorder (2007), p. 220: "A little over 800 people died on both sides during the operation, with the Razakars suffering the majority of the casualties."
  5. ↑ Kamat, Border incidents, internal disorder (2007), p. 220.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Hate speech not new for Owaisi clan". The Times of India. 10 January 2013.
  7. ↑ Sherman, The integration of the princely state of Hyderabad (2007), pp. 6–7.
  8. ↑ "Hyderabad's Razakars Chapter: Paramilitary Force Killed Hindus, Later Hired by Zamindars to Fight Communists". News18. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  9. ↑ Mehrotra, S. R. (1979). Towards Indias Freedom And Partition.
  10. ↑ Metcalf, Barbara D.; Metcalf, Thomas R. (2002). A Concise History of India. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-63974-3.
  11. ↑ "Tracing Razakar legacy: When Razvi's granddaughter visited Hyderabad". The Week. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  12. ↑ Kate, Marathwada under the Nizams 1987, p. 73.
  13. ↑ Moraes, Frank, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mumbai: Jaico. 2007, p.390
  14. ↑ Rao, P.R., History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh: From the Earliest Times to 1991, New Delhi: Sterling Publishers, 2012. p. 284
  15. ↑ Remembering a legend, The Hindu, 22 August 2008; Aniket Alam, A one-man crusade, it was and still is[dead link], The Hindu, 6 January 2003.
  16. ↑ Kate, Marathwada under the Nizams 1987, p. 84.
  17. ↑ Thomson, Mike (24 September 2013). "India's hidden massacre". BBC. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  18. ↑ "Razakar: The Silent Genocide Of Hyderabad Movie: Showtimes, Review, Songs, Trailer, Posters, News & Videos |eTimes". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

Further reading[edit | edit source]

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